


After the Fall (Second Chances Aren't Real)

by lenainu



Category: Naruto
Genre: Forbidden Fruit, Gen, Ootsutsuki Clan, The Shinji Tree
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 09:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5661568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenainu/pseuds/lenainu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because every super-god-villain has to start somewhere. A story of Kaguya Otsutsuki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. paradise was never found

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, like everyone else on this site. Most of the characters in this are OCs though, and I do own them. 
> 
> An experimentation in the time of Kaguya Otsutsuki. Slightly AU, because I'm ignoring the canon idea that the Otsutsuki clan comes from another world (well, they could have, but no one in the clan remembers it) and ignoring anything outside of the manga (like the movie). This means Kaguya is just a person, until she eats the fruit of the Shinji. It's more interesting that way.

Kaguya Otsutsuki walked in the garden. There was a path down the middle, raked pebbles surrounding the cherry blossom trees and rose bushes. The trees were flowerless and knurled, the roses wilting their petals onto the ground. She bent down to pick up the stray petals, placing them in her bag, before smoothing out the patterns of the pebbles as she walked back to the path.  
“Kaguya-sama,”  
Kaguya turned to look at the man standing at the entrance of the garden. “Yes, Sutemaru-san?”  
“Takeo-sama requires your presence.”   
Kaguya crushed some of the petals between her fingers and looked away. “The garden is beautiful, isn’t it?”  
“Ah,” Sutemaru replied. “You understand these kind of thing better than I.” He lent against the frame of the arch, folding his arms, looking at her through half-lidded eyes. “Won’t you come?”  
“Of course I will. But Takeo rushes things too often. It is better to let him wait a while.”  
Sutemaru frowned and rubbed his nose. “Kaguya-sama, sometimes haste is the difference between life and death.” They both knew that. If the family hadn’t reacted fast enough to the threats of the outside world, they wouldn’t be a clan any-more. Even with that, they had lost enough friends and family.  
“And yet isn’t there still a difference between haste and speed?” Kaguya replied, picking up a rake and making a new pattern in the pebbles, considering her next words. “Haste means Takeo acts immediately on whatever I say.”  
“Perhaps that just means Takeo-sama trusts you, when he doesn’t have time to think, only to act.” Sutemaru said.  
“And how do you think that feels?” Kaguya snapped, stopping the pattern-making. “I can’t be right all the time.”  
“No, but the gods can be.” Sutemaru replied. A strange expression flashed across Kaguya’s face.  
“I apologize.”  
“You don’t need to, Kaguya-sama.”  
She walked over to Sutemaru, out of the garden. “I do like it when you speak your mind though.”  
Sutemaru shrugged, so Kaguya decided to move on. Sutemaru reminded her of a turtle. Whenever she thought she was starting to know him - when she pushed him - he retreated into his shell of politeness and Kaguya-sama’s. She wondered if she could get him to drop the honorific one day. That level of politeness wasn’t really necessary when they had known each other from childhood. And Kaguya never called Takeo Takeo-sama. She shook her head to clear her wandering thoughts and said to Sutemaru:  
“Tell me what the problem is, then.” She could wait and get Takeo to explain, but he never was the patient type. He would be annoyed if he had to wait for Kaguya to catch up. He would probably be annoyed already, to be honest. Well, it didn’t matter.  
“The Matsumae family are depending blood-price for the death of Sagami, or the truce will be broken.”  
Kaguya thoughts of annoying Takeo slipped away at the mention of Sagami and she cursed under her breath. “That truce took three years to make. We cannot lose it.”  
“So we will pay the blood-price and lose someone.” Sutemaru said. It was the way things worked. The spilling of blood could not be avoided, but the amount of blood spilled could be chosen.  
Kaguya shook her head angrily. “Couldn’t something last longer than a moon, for once?” She remarked, half to herself. “No, we are not going to pay the blood-price.”  
Sutemaru blinked - surprised at the instant decision - and glanced at her. After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed and he asked: “Who says that? The gods?”  
“I say it. I don’t need the gods to decide something like this.”  
“Takeo-sama will be relieved to hear it.” Sutemaru said. Not that Takeo-sama would want him to tell her, but there was a reason he was calling on Kaguya rather than making the decision alone.  
“Yes. We have lost enough this year.” Kaguya said. Not softly, just plainly. There was no need to protect each other from the truth of the world; they knew each other too well for that, had watched too many fires together. Sutemaru stepped in front of her and slid open the door.

Takeo was sitting cross-legged on the floor, studying a map. “Kaguya,” he said. “You took long enough. Did you hide from Sutemaru-san?”  
“I was in the garden.” Kaguya replied, and sat down in front of him. Sutemaru stepped outside and slid closed the door behind him.  
Takeo raised an eyebrow. “The garden? You were hiding then.”  
“You and Sutemaru may not understand the peace it brings me, but that does not mean it is not useful.” Kaguya replied. Besides, she had a reputation to uphold. The garden with its elaborate patterns gave her a kind of respect from the rest of the clan who, like Sutemaru, treated it as a sacred place.  
“Kaguya, don’t worry. I am not going to get rid of your garden. A pile of stones needs no up-keep.” Takeo said and smirked. Unlike Sutemaru, he had no delusions about the place being sacred. The trees were old but that did not mean they were blessed by the gods. Perhaps it only meant the gods had forgotten to destroy them.  
Kaguya nodded, and turned the map around so she could look at it. “So what’s this I hear of a blood-price?”  
The happiness faded from Takeo’s face. “Yes. Because Sagami died in our care, they are pretending that her death was our devising.”  
“And it was not?” Kaguya asked carefully, her expression blank.  
“Of course it was not!” Takeo snapped. “This truce has taken too long to create to waste it on vengeance. Kaguya, you know I would not. Father perhaps, but not I.”  
“Sorry. I had to be sure.” Kaguya replied. “Lying to the gods damages my visions.” She added, though truly she had wanted to know for herself. It was true about that lies clouded her visions though; the gods could not answer questions detached from the real world by lies and fantasy. No one could.  
“I have to decide what to do now.” Takeo continued. “Matsumae Norihiro is already waiting outside for Sagami’s body.” He had refused to come inside or take refreshment, to show his disrespect for them. He was Sagami’s brother and had fought against the truce, when he realized his sister was going to be a truce-holder. It was unsurprising that he wanted to be the one to take vengeance now.  
“It will take a day to receive a vision.” Kaguya replied. To gather and cut the willow sticks and herbs, drink the potion, meditate, build the willow fire and smoke. The gods did not come when one called. They had to be waited for, enticed, flattered.  
“Kaguya, sometimes I don’t care about the visions.” Takeo replied and looked straight in her eyes. “I want to know what my sister thinks.”  
Kaguya flushed slightly and broke the stare. She was used to being the spiritual leader of her clan. She was less used to being herself. She took a breath, brought up the memory of Sagami’s blooded body.  
“I think we should not pay the blood-price.”  
“And instead go to war with Matsumae and lose many more?”  
“No. We can find another way.” Kaguya insisted.  
“But wouldn’t it be better to pay the blood-price and maintain the truce?” Takeo insisted. But Kayuga knew him, knew that Takeo didn’t repeat himself. Which meant something big was at stake, for him to act like that.  
“Takeo, whose blood have they demanded?”  
Takeo looked away. “You can guess. Kaito.” His fists clenched on his thighs, crumpling the fabric of his hakama.  
“Yes, I did. Which is why we can’t pay the blood-price.” Sagami herself would not want Kaito’s blood for her death, if she could speak. Not to mention that Kaguya would not allow her nephew to die for something like this. No one could have predicated that Sagami and her guard would be attacked. Two Otsutsuki had already died trying to defend her. Kaguya mourned them, but that was their role. Kaito was too young to die. Ah, she knew no one was too young to die. She simply didn’t want to let him die.  
Takeo nodded and seemed to relax. “Then what can we do? We are strong at the moment, but going to war with Matsumae will weaken us, and than the other clans will join in.”  
“I know,” Kaguya nodded. “Could it be a bluff? They can’t be any more eager to go to war than we are.”  
“I have considered that already.” Takeo replied, slightly exasperated. “But they sent Norihiro.”  
Kaguya smiled, humorless. “And he would still try to start a war even if the clan forbid him, for Sagami. If they manage to pull off a bluff with Norihiro then it’ll be a miracle.”  
Takeo’s mouth tilted upwards at miracle. “Perhaps you could call on your gods?”  
Kaguya shook her head, frowning slightly at the “your gods”. She was never quite sure if Takeo believed, not that it mattered. It just annoyed her, like an itch, every now and then. “Everything is already spoken. They do not help, they only speak. You know that.”  
“Yes, I know.” Takeo said, without much feeling. They had already had that conversation many times before, and it had lost the accompanying emotions in the passing of years. Now it was more of a joke than anything. Miracles didn’t happen, except in the stories. “So war it is.”  
Kaguya sighed. “Again and again, over and over. Can’t it ever end?”  
Takeo snorted. “You dream too much. It’s life. Do you believe that everyone will drop their weapons?”  
“If they were scared enough, they would.”  
“Interesting idea, but Matsumae are not scared of us.”  
“No, if everyone was scared enough.”  
“Kaguya.”  
“Sorry, I was dreaming. Back to the Matsumae.” Kaguya said. She looked down at the map, considering the other nearby clans. “Perhaps we could create a distraction for them…”  
“In a violent form, I assume.” Takeo said, picking up on her idea. “Employ another clan to attack them, then pick off the remainders. It is an idea to consider, but it has complications.”  
“And will definitely destroy any chance of a truce.”  
“There will be no need of a truce if the whole clan is dead.”  
Kaguya shook her head. “But it never is the whole clan, remember? Someone always survive and comes to take vengeance.”  
“Mother.” Takeo said, sighing. “Yes, that’s true.” She had been a victim of one of those decimated clans. It had taken Takeo and Kaguya a while to even figure which one; all words of revenge are surprisingly repetitive. You killed my family, my son, my daughter, didn’t mean a lot. Everyone was someone’s family.  
They sat in silence. Kaguya could hear the murmurings of the other members of the clan reaching out, threads, through the thin walls. Takeo broke the silence.  
“If it’s war, then it is better that Norihiro doesn’t return. It would give us time to prepare before the Matsumae find out.”  
“And there’s another blood-price over our heads, for killing a messenger. If we let him return, we have a chance of negotiating with the clan heads. Killing Norihiro would mean definite war. And we would lose standing among the other clans.”  
“Possible war then.” Takeo said. “For my son alone.”  
“For the clan-heir and my nephew.” Kaguya said. “Don’t regret this.”  
“We’ll see when the deaths start mounting up.”  
“No, don’t.” Kaguya said. “I wouldn’t let him go even if you would anyway.”  
Takeo looked angry for a few seconds, then deflated, closed his eyes. “Thank you. Will you come with me to tell Norihiro?”  
“No.” Kaguya replied.  
“Leaving me to his wrath?” Takeo asked, smiling slightly.  
“Returning to my duties. I have gods to speak with.” Kaguya replied, looking away. “Besides, I’m sure Sutemaru can protect you.”  
“Sutemaru against Norihiro?”  
“Away with you.” Kaguya said, then paused. “Thank you for listening to me.”  
“Ah, you just had the same thoughts as I did.” Takeo said, and they grinned at each other, like they were children again.  
Kaguya stood up and smoothed down her clothes. “I mean it.” She said, opening the door. “We will not lose anyone else. We will not lose Kaito.”

She left the smell of roses behind her.

Takeo smiled softly and rolled up the map and looked up in time to see the frown on Sutemaru’s face.  
“Close the door, Sutemaru-san.” Takeo said and Sutemaru did, before turning to him.  
“How can she say things like that, Takeo-sama?” he asked. “Being our god-speaker, as well. It’s just cruel.”  
Takeo sighed and shook his head. “Ah, maybe her visions let her see a better world.”  
“You don’t believe that.” Sutemaru insisted.  
“No, but that doesn’t matter. She has blood on her hands. She’s not stupid.” Takeo replied. It was true. None of them had made it to adulthood without killing someone.  
Sutemaru nodded, changing his face into neutrality again, as if trying to hide the brief lapse into emotion. “Of course. It just seems - when she’s speaking - like she’s living in a different world to the rest of us.”  
“We know she is.” Takeo said flippantly and was rewarded by a slight smile on Sutemaru’s face.  
“Ah, the world of the gods. Sounds like a nice place.”  
Takeo raised an eyebrow and stood up. “On to Norihiro then.”


	2. in adamantine chains

Norihiro Matsumae looked down at the body of his sister. He had unwrapped the shroud here, to make sure they didn’t give him the wrong body. He didn’t know why they would do that, but he was past reasoning now. The Otsutsuki were the enemy - who knew what they would do? But it was the right body. It was mainly covered by the clean white kimono - that was wrong, the Matsumae died in purple, not white - but he could still some of the wounds. A slash across her right hand. Bruising, bleeding knuckles on the left hand. A cut parallel to her eyebrow that would have obscured her vision. The cut across her throat. Crooked. Smiling back at Norihiro.

  
“Cover her.” He snapped at the Otsutsuki standing to the side, hovering and tense. Norihiro wondered if Sagami had known him - had trusted him. The Otsutsuki paused for a few seconds, as if not wanting to be seen obeying him, then did as he said.  
“Matsumae,” the Otsutsuki murmured. “We will mourn her as well.”  
Norihiro stared at the shrouded form, then turned to the Otsutsuki. Looked at him. Noticed the twin swords he wore. Watched the two other Otsutsuki standing in the doorway, and told himself that it wasn’t the time to murder the traitorous, lying Otsutsuki snake. There would be time for that later and it was suicide to attack a member of a clan in their own house. The reasoning didn’t stop his hand from twitching, eager to draw his sword. “What’s your name?” He asked instead.  
The Otsutsuki was even more tense now, had taken a step back. He didn’t try to apologize though, just replied; “Minoru Otsutsuki.”

Norihiro almost laughed at the reply. Of course his name meant _truth_. It just reminded Norihiro once again what liars the Otsutsuki were. “I’ll remember your name then,” he said and allowed a smile to reach his lips. Minori was nervous now, Norihiro could tell. It happened to most people, around Norihiro. It was amusing, watching the relief across Minori’s face when Takeo arrived.

Except than Norihiro was reminded of Sagami and there was no humor in that.

“Takeo.” Norihiro said; honorifics weren’t given to those undeserving of them. He meant to say more, but the memory of Sagami’s body stopped him, ached in his throat.  
“Norihiro-san,” Takeo replied. “We are glad you could come. Kaguya was going to perform the ceremonies tomorrow, but it is better if that is done among Sagami’s own clan.” _Don’t say her name. She is not part of your family._ Norihiro ignored the rest. “We will have blood-price for this.” He said instead.

Takeo didn’t nod, stared at Norihiro with those unearthly pale blue eyes. “Yes, you said that before.”

“Then what is your answer?” Norihiro snarled. Blood-price was the only way to solve this tragedy. Blood-price or war. Something had to be paid, when they had given Sagami to the Otsutsuki in trust and they killed her.

“It is a tragedy, but it does not need a blood-price,” Takeo replied, moving closer, as if Norihiro was a dog that could be cowed.

“That is a lie!” Norihiro said. “She died in your care. She died because of you. She would have been alive if she had stayed with us.”

“None of us can know that.” Takeo said.

“Not even your precious Kaguya? You know, I would demand her blood if it was allowed. You Otsutsuki die so beautifully, red on white.” Norihiro said and grinned when Takeo’s hand slipped down to his sword.

“You will not touch her.” Takeo snarled. “You will not get your blood-price, not Kaguya and not my son.”

“Then war it will be.” Norihiro said. “We could start now. If you scream then perhaps your sister will come running and I can kill her too.” And then Takeo was drawing his sword and Norihiro was ready and- Sutemaru closed his hand over Takeo’s arm and stopped him. Takeo let go of his sword and stepped back. Norihiro felt the adrenaline running through his veins congeal, denied expression.

“We mourn Sagami as well.” Takeo said, an echo of Minoru earlier. Norihiro imagined a sword biting into his neck, in exactly the same curve as in Sagami’s and told himself: _I can wait._


End file.
